This Beetroot and Halloumi Salad with Pine Nuts and a creamy orange dressing is perfect if you don’t like salads. It’s got lots of flavour and texture and is the ideal light summer dinner or lunch.
*This post may contain affiliate links to products I find useful when making this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
Most of my recipes might lead you to believe that my diet consists of massive comforting casseroles, lots of heavy carbs and sweet treats and little else.
I’m not going to lie, there’s a lot of heavy food in my diet. Nothing beats a pasta bake with tons of cheese or a big filling curry. But I also love a good salad.
Salads for me should be colourful with plenty of different flavours and textures. I like a bit of crunch and just a bowl filled with different things. I’m a huge fan of a Buddha bowl style lunch.
I run a lot, usually daily, so a big salad is a great way to pack loads of nutrients into my diet and boost my energy levels.
This beetroot and halloumi salad is delicious because it’s got pretty much all of my favourite salad ingredients in one bowl. Chorizo and potato and my Kani salad are big favourites too.
Ingredients for a Beetroot and Halloumi Salad
My perfect salad has to have colour, texture and flavour. Much like a sandwich, but with lettuce instead of bread.
For my halloumi and beetroot salad I use:
Lettuce – Just something simple like shredded cos or iceberg with lots of crunch
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Onion
Halloumi Cheese
Cooked Beetroot
Pine Nuts
For the dressing I use:
Olive Oil
Greek Yoghurt
Orange Juice and Zest
Honey
Salt and Pepper
How Do You Cook Beetroot?
Honestly, I typically cheat and buy cooked beetroot.
I love beetroot, but the faf of preparing it means that I don’t eat it. When I buy ready-cooked beetroot I can just drain it, chop it up and eat it straight away, or boil it for a few minutes if I want it warm.
For this salad, I bake everything.
I prefer halloumi warm so that it’s nice and soft, so this is already a warm salad. So I like the beetroot to be warm too.
Because the halloumi, beetroot and pine nuts all want warming, I find it easier to bake everything on one tray.
I’d typically grill the halloumi, boil the beetroot and fry the pine nuts. But baking it all is so much easier and roasted beetroot is absolutely yummy!
Slice the halloumi and beetroot and brush or spray with cooking oil.
Add the halloumi to a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees C (fan assisted) for about 10 minutes. Remove, turn and add the beetroot.
Return the tray to the oven for a further 5 minutes, before removing and adding the pine nuts in a single layer.
Bake for a final 5 minutes, and it’s all ready to serve on a bed of lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes and finely sliced red onions.
If you want to crisp your halloumi up or give it a bit of colour then you can finish it off under the grill or in a frying pan over a medium heat with a little oil for a few minutes.
If you are using raw beetroot there’s some great information on how to boil them here.
What Dressing do You Put on a Halloumi and Beetroot Salad?
For this halloumi salad with beetroot and pine nuts, I’ve used a refreshing orange salad dressing.
I love the combination of orange and beetroot, especially roast beetroot which is lovely and sweet.
You can use store-bought dressings, or any of your favourites though. I add a little honey to my orange dressing, which has a yoghurt base, so it’s super sweet and refreshing.
I think these flavours really complement the earthy beetroot and the salty halloumi. This roasted beetroot and halloumi salad has it all.
What Else Can You Add to a Halloumi Salad?
My beetroot and halloumi salad is simple but incredibly tasty.
Halloumi slices are fairly filling, and pine kernels add a gorgeous texture, I love them.
But if you want more, there’s plenty that you can add. Halloumi beetroot walnut salad or beetroot halloumi couscous are all great combinations.
You can also add things to the base. I stick to lettuce, cherry tomatoes and red onions, but you could add mixed leaves, spinach, cucumber, peppers and any of your favourite salad ingredients.
What to do with Leftover Orange and Yoghurt Salad Dressing
This recipe isn’t for a huge amount of dressing. But it’s probably more than enough for two.
If you have any leftover orange salad dressing, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just give it a stir before using it again.
I use silicon cover/lid things like these, which fit over little ramekins (I keep all my gu pots for dressings, sauces etc) really well. (affiliate link)
Beetroot and Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 Tablespoons Greek Yoghurt
- 2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Orange Zest
- 2 Teaspoons Honey
- Pinch of Salt and Pepper (To taste)
For the Salad:
- 1 Iceberg Lettuce (Shredded and washed)
- 200 g Cherry Tomatoes (Cut in half)
- 1/4 Red Onion (Peeled and very finely sliced)
- 2 Beetroots (Cooked, Peeled and sliced into 3mm rounds)
- 225 g Halloumi (Drained and sliced into 8)
- 30 g Pine Nuts
Instructions
- To make the dressing place the oil, yoghurt, orange juice and zest and honey in a small jug and whisk together.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, and extra orange zest to taste.
- Place in the fridge until you are ready.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).
- Brush the halloumi and sliced beetroot with cooking oil, or spray with cooking spray.
- Place the halloumi on a large baking tray.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and turn the halloumi.
- Add the beetroot in a thin layer, leaving a section of your tray empty for pine nuts, and return to the oven.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add the pine nut in a thin layer (use two trays if you need more space).
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Place lettuce, cherry tomatoes and slices of onion in 2 salad bowls.
- Drizzle over a tablespoon or two of dressing.
- Remove the baking tray from the oven.
- Top with halloumi and beetroot and scatter over pine nuts.
- Add a little more dressing if desired.
Notes
- Switch for baby gem, romaine or anything crunchy if you prefer.
- I buy pre-cooked beetroots, if yours are uncooked make sure you peel and boil first.
- If your dressing has been in the fridge for more than a few minutes, give it a quick whisk before drizzling on.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
